Those Sunny Days
by Leafy Lincoln
Summary: Being a winter spirit has its perks, but also its limitations. Jack can't venture into the sun as much as he'd like. Too hot, too humid. It just doesn't work with him anymore.


If there was one thing he missed, it was the feeling of the sun's warm rays on his skin. The bright light would always bring him comfort, especially as a kid. Nightmares would haunt him as he slept and only the warmth that daylight brought could rescue him from that torture.

Now though, it wasn't even possible for him to stay in balmy climates. He would get uncomfortable, this pain running through his throat and chest, as if he was being suffocated. If there was no hint of a chilly breeze to come, then there was no Jack Frost. Yes, he brought the cold and winter, but that didn't mean there wasn't a chill when he wasn't there. He always had a feeling within himself, telling him where to go and which places and cities were to receive his dose of snow and how much each were to have. In result, he always strayed away from those sunnier and hotter parts of the world, as they never pulled to him to deliver his cold.

Deserts he would race through during the nights, dropping the temperature a little bit but giving no frost, and beaches would be visited on most accounts (to his utmost delight), while humid places like the rainforests wouldn't be touched or explored one bit. It was just how things were.

True, he had come to enjoy the cold weather and all it brought. The snowmen, the amusement of seeing kids waddling around it their ridiculous winter attire, the satisfying sound of when a snowball was pelted into the back of an unexpected victim, and the joyous laughter snow days brought the children all around the world. But sometimes all that couldn't overcome the sadness he felt when he realized he could never again just sit in the hot summer sun and relax. He would never again shade his eyes because the beautiful sun was shining so bright. He would never again go cloud gazing in the intense daylight, joking to Bunnymund that he swore the cloud above them looked exactly like him. He would never again feel like what it was meant to be warm, or hot, or even sweaty for that matter.

Everywhere he went, he brought the cold, it following him like one of Bunny's eggs. He couldn't just go to some nice, sunny place without making it snow after some time. But for the places where it was sunny all the time, the places where he knew he shouldn't be or even stay, he couldn't spread the cold that far from him. It was just too hot and he couldn't stand it. And that itself made him a bit sad.

Sometimes he wondered if it all was worth it- dying for his sister, the Man in the Moon resurrecting him and gifting him with amazing powers, spending three hundred years spreading winter to children who hadn't even believed in him, and even accepting the position as a Guardian. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have lived his life out as a normal boy, growing up alongside his sister and friends in his little village in the bright sunshine. Sometimes he even wondered whether the Man in the Moon had cursed him, allowing him no comfort whenever the sun burned too brightly.

Jack sighed, rubbing his face all the while. He knew that none of those things were true. It was all worth it, and he didn't think he'd act any other way or change anything from his past, as he didn't regret anything he did. He would still have saved his sister, would have still have impressed the Man in the Moon, and would have still helped the Guardians and made the Oath to become one as well.

Now if he could only stand the sun's heat and be able to feel the warmth that accompanied it. That itself would make everything seem normal- if he could ever have any normalcy, that is.

"Jack? Jack!" A voice sounded out from somewhere below him, snapping him out of his daze. He nearly dropped his staff in surprise. The winter spirit shook his head, clearing him mind, before glancing down from his perch atop of the old statue in Burgess' town square. Jamie's happy face greeted him from the ground, a sled in his arms and in his usual snow day attire. "You're here! Great!" The kid let out a laugh that was the epiphany of joy.

The Guardian of Fun couldn't help the small smile the slid across his face as he watched the boy set up his sled, sitting on it in anticipation and chattering about how this was going to be the greatest winter ever. Jack slid down the statue until his exposed feet were barely floating above the icy ground. His shadow loomed over the small child. "Don't you ever get tired of the snow?"

There was no hesitation in his answer. "Nope." The honesty in his response was undeniable. Figures. Children were known for their blunt honesty, to call it like they see it. He should know because _essentially_ he was a kid, only one that had lived a lot longer than most kids would.

Jamie got up and adjusted the sled, wiping away hard rocks that would get in the way of the perfect sled ride. When he got comfortable again, gripping the red rope attached to the wooden toy as reigns. He then looked up at Jack with those big brown eyes, worry spotted in every freckle on his face. "Is something wrong, Jack?"

Jack was surprised for a moment. "What? No." He hoped his lie wasn't obvious, also hoping that he wasn't an open book. "What makes you think that?"

"You're always excited when we play together. Usually, we always go sledding right away- sometimes even when I haven't sat down on my sled yet!" He stated matter-of-factly, throwing his hands into the air for emphasis.

"Well I don-"

"C'mon Jack, let's have some fun and get you happy and you again! I know you want to see how much of the city I can cover on this thing," he indicated his sled, smiling hopefully. "Everyone's been waiting for you to come and for the fun to begin. Kiss the sun goodbye and say hello to good ol' snow!"

Jack looked at him doubtfully, "My snow isn't all that amazing… I mean… It's just snow."

Jamie's expression could almost be classified as mortified. "Just snow? No way! We get sun here all the time and sometimes its fine and all, but when it snows…" He paused, trying to find the right description. "When it snows… It's special. I can have fun in the snow and ride my sled and ice-skate and do all the other stuff. I can't do that when it's all sunny and hot. Snow is something all us kids wish for every year, and every year you come!"

The immortal boy's expression softened and snow began to drift down from the sky. A moment later that mischievous smirk of his had taken his face hostage. The bending of his legs was the only indication of what he was about to do next. The wind launched both him and Jamie forward in a neck breaking speed down the icy hill where the statue stood. Jamie's delighted screams followed them as they made their way through town. Children yelled their hellos as they shot past them, waving at Jack excitedly. He promised himself he would come back later and initiate a snow ball fight.

Listening to Jamie's laughter echo all around as he sent the boy into a mound of snow slush, Jack truly did believe that the sun wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Who needed the blistering sun when you had the snow to keep you cool and entertained? Jamie seemed to enjoy the cold better. So why couldn't he?

"Jack! Hey, Jack!" The boy's arms were up in excitement as he asked, "Can we do that again? Jack! Can we?"

He leaned his staff against his shoulder and laughed. "Of course, buddy."

The world seemed a little brighter now that the snow was falling.


End file.
